James sargent



(No Model.)

m 8 8 1 7 1 ww u A d e t n e t a P v \WM M\\\\\\\\s a m m 5 a. M M i 0 xN WITNESSES Attorneys,

UNITED STATES PATENT Utmost JAMES SARGENT, OF ROCHESTER, NElV YORK.

SAFETY-VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 347,516, dated August1'7, 1886.

Application filed September .i, 1885. Serial No. 176,268. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES SARGENT, of

Rochester, in the county of Monroe, State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Valves; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame, reference being vhad to the accompanying drawings, in which--Figure 1 is a central vertical section of the valve. Fig. 2 is a plan ofthe lower portion of the same,-looking down from the line 90 0c of Fig.l, a portion of the flexible diaphragm being broken away to show thevalve-seat.

My improvement relates to spring or weighted valves to regulate thepressure of liquids or fluids under confinement, and allow an automaticdischarge of the same; and it is adapted to many and various uses, butespecially to beer casks or tanks, where it is necessary to preserveuniform pressure, but to vary the same at different times and underdifferent circumstances. In such apparatus it is customary to use avalve covering but a small escape opening, and it is frequently the casethat there is not sufficient surface for the pressure to raise thevalve, and if this surface is increased the escape-opening is made toolarge. To obviate the difficulty it has been customary to use anescape-passage at one side of and independent of the valveopening,through which the pressure can act upon a mechanism connected with theweight lever or beam to raise the valve.

The object of my invention is to furnish a large yielding surface forthe pressure to act upon to open the valve, and yet present but a smallseat for the valve to rest on, all as here inafter described.

In the drawings, A shows a cylinder, which receives the pressure bymeans of an induc tion-pipe, B, or any other means.

0 is a hollow pipe within the cylinder, that forms the discharge, saidpipe having at its upper end a valve-seat, a, of comparatively smallsize. The pressure entering the cylinder passes up through the same, andthen turns into the dischargepipc, when the same is uncovered andescapes.

D is a flexible diaphragm, made of rubber of other suitable material,resting across the top of the cylinder and upon the top of thevalve-seat (1 which it packs, and secured at the edges by any desiredmeans. The central part of the diaphragm rests in an opening, I), ofconsiderable extent, by which. means the pressure underneath acts upon acomparatively large surface of the diaphragm, and with sufficient powerto raise it from the valve seat at all times under the pressure at whichthe valve is set.

E is a cap or dome, which is fitted on top of the cylinder and securedthereto by any suitable means, and clamping the edges of the diaphragmin place.

G is a follower resting in the chamber Z) and on top of central portionof the diaphragm, and serving to press the latter down upon thevalve-seat.

H is a plug or spindle, resting loosely in the cap, and provided at itslower end with a round knuckle, d, that rests in a corresponding socket,f, of the follower, forming a universal joint. If desired, theconnection may be such that the plug and follower can be removedtogether as one piece.

I is a hollow cylinder, threaded on its out side, and screwing down intothe top of the cap E, being adjustable higher or lower by that means,and provided at its top with handles h h, by which it is turned. Theinterior of this cylinder forms a bore for receiving the upper end ofthe plug H, and contains aspring, 7c, which presses upon the plug. Itwill be seen that when the nut I is turned down the elastic pressureupon the diaphragm above the valve-seat will be increased, and whenturned up it will be diminished, and by this means any desiredresistance to the pressure below the valve can be given, and it can begraded exactly to the necessities of the case.

L is an ordinary pressure-gage, connected by a pipe, M, with theinterior of the cylinder A, below the diaphragm, by which the interiorpressure is indicated.

The advantages of this invention are, that a suliicient surface of thediaphragm is presented to the pressure to insure the proper raising ofthe valve at all times, and at the same time the valve-seat is made 'sosmall that the diaphragm will close it readily, so that small impulsesof the pressure are sufficient to make a large valve, or else the valveis made small to discharge, and the valve closes so quickly that onlythe necessary amount is let off to preserve the equilibri um. The valveis thus much more sensitive in action, and will preserve a greateruniformity in the pressure, which is important, especially in treatingbeer and fermented liquors. In common valves now in use the valve-seatis either made large to lit a fit a small seat, in which case there isnot sufficient pressure under the valve to raise it, and extra devicesmust be used to assist the raising of the valve. In either case theaction of the valve is not regular, and the pressure is not uniformlymaintained.

Instead of a springvalve such as above described, a weighted valve maybe used, if desired, and the discharge-pipe 0, instead of extending downvertically through the cylinder, may be carried out laterally or in anyother direction, if preferred.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. I11 a valve for regulating pressure in a vessel or chamber, thecombination of a discharge-pipe having a valve-scat at its inner end, adiaphragm acting as a valve to close the end of the discharge-pipe, andreceiving the pressure from the interior vessel or chamber against itssurface around the discharge pipe, and means, as the follower G, plug H,and spring 7:, f or produein g the requisite pressare to keep the valveclosed, for the purpose herein specified.

2. The combination of ahollow cylinder, A, communicating with theinterior of a vessel or chamber under pressure, a discharge-pipe, G,reaching into the cylinder, and a diaphragmvalve, D, closing one end ofthe cylinder and adapted to be pressed inward to close the inner end ofthe discharge-pipe, whereby an enlarged surface for raising thediaphragm-val ve by the interior pressure and a valve-seat of small sizeare secured, for the purpose herein specified.

3. The combination of the cylinder A, communicating with the interior ofa vessel or chamber under pressure, a diseharge'pipe, (J, reaching intothe cylinder, a diaphragm-val vc, 1), closing one end of the cylinder Aand the inner end of the discharge-pipe 0, means, as the follower G,plug II, and spring 7;, for producing the requisite pressure on thevalve, and adjusting-nut I, for regulating the degree of pressure on thevalve, substantially as and for the purpose herein specified.

4. The combination of the cylinder A, the diaphragm D, thedischarge-pipe O, the follower G, the plug or spindle II, the nut l, andspring 70, as shown and described, and for the purpose specified.

JAMES Si XRGENT.

In presence of- C. O. PUFFER, \V. G. llfaoicirmr.

